AkzoNobel recently broke ground on €22m redevelopment and modernisation programme for its Aerospace Coatings production site at Pamiers, France. The company via its official twitter account posted an image of the ground breaking ceremony complete with local officials, customers along with site’s staff.
The expansion plan includes construction of two extensions, one for storage and one for cleaning and waste treatment. The project will also enable the company to relocate the production of exterior polyurethane paints for aircraft widely used in Europe from its Waukegan plant in the US. The new installations at both locations due to be operational in early 2025.
The project was announced two years ago with a total of €15 million will be spent on the company’s aerospace coatings facility in Pamiers, which was taken over following the Mapaero acquisition in 2019. AkzoNobel claims that in the new facility the production capacity will be boosted by 50%.
The funds will also be used to reduce the environmental impact and improve safety processes and working conditions, setting the tone for sustainable operations.
The other €5 million will be spent on improving production flexibility at the decorative paints site in Montataire, which is one of the company’s most important manufacturing locations for wall paints in Europe.
“These investments underline our growth ambitions and confirm our commitment to supporting economic development in France,” explains AkzoNobel chief executive Thierry Vanlancker. “The Pamiers project in particular demonstrates how we’re contributing to a more sustainable aerospace industry by increasing the supply of high-performance products that are more respectful of the environment.”
AkzoNobel employs nearly 1,500 people in France and operates four production facilities, in Montataire (decorative paints), Dourdan (powder coatings), Limoges (adhesive markings) and Pamiers (aerospace coatings).
